In the summer of 2000, I set out to assemble the best components I could reconcile on a budget. The result was what I think of as ''The Best Hi-Fi of 1996.'' I figure if I would have sold my soul to put this equipment together five years ago, I'd still have it today. By settling for used equipment, I can enjoy the same sound today -- and years to come -- at considerably reduced cost. The biggest surprises have been the Metaphor 2s. Amazing speakers that the world seems to have forgotten. Metaphor Acoustics unfortunately went under in 1998. The speakers almost never show up on the used market. I like them so much that I've tucked away two pair. The warm and musical Metaphors match the cooler solid state Muse amp and preamp, creating a magical synergy (an appropriate overly used buzzword from 1996) of superb sound. A few last words about used equipment: I've found the sellers of used stuff on Audiogon, AudioReview and eBay to be uniformly fair and honest in description, sale and delivery of high-end audio equipment. Perhaps I've been excedingly lucky, but I think the world is less scary than we sometimes brace ourselves for.